Abstract: A message retrieval utility is provided with the capability of running independently of an operator and having the ability to access and retrieve data from individual workstations. The messages retrieved include recorded events, decoded according to the specific DLLs on the same workstation that generated the event. Once the event logs are retrieved from the individual workstations, system agents filters and prioritizes the event messages for presentation to system administrators. The agents are capable of performing analyses on the event messages being generated to anticipate and prevent more serious events in the future. Agents may also communicate with each other to analyze performance.